From Commodore Porter He
Received The Alarming Intelligence That The British Frigate
Phoebe, With A Store-Ship Mounted With Battering
Pieces,
calculated to attack forts, had arrived at Rio Janeiro, where she
had been joined by the sloops of war
Cherub and Raccoon, and that
they had all sailed in company on the 6th of July for the
Pacific, bound, as it was supposed, to Columbia River.
Here, then, was the death-warrant of unfortunate Astoria! The
anxious mind of Mr. Hunt was in greater perplexity than ever. He
had been eager to extricate the property of Mr. Astor from a
failing concern with as little loss as possible; there was now
danger that the whole would be swallowed up. How was it to be
snatched from the gulf? It was impossible to charter a ship for
the purpose, now that a British squadron was on its way to the
river. He applied to purchase one of the whale ships brought in
by Commodore Porter. The commodore demanded twenty-five thousand
dollars for her. The price appeared exorbitant, and no bargain
could be made. Mr. Hunt then urged the commodore to fit out one
of his prizes, and send her to Astoria, to bring off the property
and part of the people, but he declined, "from want of
authority." He assured Mr. Hunt, however, that he would endeavor
to fall in with the enemy, or should he hear of their having
certainly gone to the Columbia, he would either follow or
anticipate them, should his circumstances warrant such a step.
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